Periya Puranam (8)

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Sai

Ram Brothers & Sisters

 

This

is the continuation of the “Periyapuranam

Series”…………………..

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font-weight:bold">8. ERIPATHTHA NAYANAR

10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";font-style:normal">“Karuvur”

was one of the important capitals of ‘Chola” kingdom and has the ancient

“Anilai” temple

of Lord Pashupatishwarar.

bold">In that city lived a devotee named “Eripaththar”. He appeared

with his axe to cut down the troubles put to the loving devotees of the Lord,

whenever such an atrocity appears. There was a saint, “Shivakamiyandar”

who engaged his body and mind in the service of submitting sandal-smelling

garlands to the Lord Pashupatishwarar.

One fine morning he filled his basket with fresh flowers and the mind with the

thoughts of God and rushed to the temple to be in time for the service. As it

was the day was the day prior to the great “Navami” celebrations,

the decorated royal elephant of the Emperor “Pukalch Cholar” was going

around the town.

bold">When it came across Shivakamiyandar who was rushing to the temple with

the basket full of flowers, the impudent elephant grabbed the basket and strew

the flowers onto the ground. It not only messed up the basket but shattered the

heart of the sage into pieces. The guard controlled the

elephant realizing the sin it did and whisked it away, but the stalled Shivakamiyandar

ran behind the elephant to hit it in despair, but couldn't owing to his old

age.

bold">He rolled on the ground with tears pouring from his eyes and drenching the

ground. He screamed, "Oh Shiva! You ripped the roaring elephant and

wore its skin! You are the strength for the strength less! What can I do now?

The elephant strewed off the flowers I brought for your scented head!! Oh my

Shiva! Oh my Shiva!!"

font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:black">

font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:blue;font-weight:bold">“Eripaththar”

who came that way, saluted Shivakamiyandar. When he came to know what happened

he became a burning fire. He went like a storm, like the God of death, to

slaughter that elephant. He didn’t think twice but cut off the

elephant’s trunk with his dreadful axe and killed the guards who failed

in their duty. The other guards who

escaped ran to the guard of the kingdom to tell, "Somebody killed the

royal elephant and the guards".

color:blue;font-weight:bold">The King who was a nightmare for enemies, reached

the spot as a roaring lion with red eyes by anger and with rich armed forces.

Contrary to his expectation, he didn't see any enemy army, instead saw a sage

standing in front of the elephant, which was rolling in the sea of blood.

"Where is the enemy who dared to do this", he roared. The guards said

it was Eripaththar, the devotee who was standing in front of him.

font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:blue;font-weight:bold">He got surprised and

said, "If the devotees who are the form of love get irked, then there

should be strong reason behind it. What a worst sin I could have done for the

devotee to become dreadful". He climbed down from his horse, bowed to the

devotee who was in the form of fury, and asked humbly, "What was the crime

the elephant and the guards did to get this piteous condition?".

Eripaththar told him the brutal act of the beast.

font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:blue;font-weight:bold">The superior king felt

the mistake was in his part too, as it was his royal elephant that committed

misdeed against the service of the Lord. He fell on Eripaththar's feet and

appealed to him, "Killing just the elephant and the guards is not

sufficient punishment for the sin done. Kill me too! Killing with the holy axe

is not the custom. Kill me with this sword", and submitted his sword to Eripaththar.

font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:blue;font-weight:bold">The love of the King

for the Lord and his respect to devotees made Eripaththar think, "Oh I did

a bad thing by harming the forces of the king who asks in the greatness of his

devotion to kill him too and gives his own sword for none of his direct

misdeed. I should kill myself as a penance for having made him suffer".

bold">The peerless King thought, "I owe to this great sage, because he is

going to nullify my sin by killing me".

bold">Eripaththar instead of killing the King, raised the sword to cut off his

own head like cutting his source of birth.

The king was shocked by his act and tried to prevent him while Eripaththar

continued to try to cut his head off.

10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:purple;font-weight:bold">In that

troublesome situation of two great hearts clashing out of their love and

respect for each other, God raised His voice, "Oh ! people of exceeding

love ! To show the greatness of your devotion this happened. Don't worry".

bold">Both of them prostrated in front of the Lord. To the amazement everybody

, as if the time machine rolled backwards, the elephant and the guards came

back to life and the flowers strewed re-filled the Shivakamiyandar's basket

with freshness and fragrance. The King took Eripaththar around the town on the

royal elephant, holding the royal umbrella over his head. They went to the

temple to pray the Lord who is the lust killer.

font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:purple;font-weight:bold">Eripaththar

continued his service to the Lord and became the head of “Shivagana”

(forces of the Shiva) on reaching Kailaya the abode of Lord Shiva.

font-family:"Comic Sans MS"">

"Comic Sans MS";color:green;font-weight:bold">Let the valor of Eripaththar who

raised his sword against the elephant without bothering about it being the

royal elephant and the fame of Pukalch Cholar who gave his sword to kill

himself for the sin of his possession be in our mind!!!!!

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Sai Ram

 

Shivathmika

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